Leather Puppets, or shadow puppets, are made in Anantapur and Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. The art form is said to date back to the 3rd century B.C. and reached its pinnacle during the heyday of the Vijayanagar Empire.

This form of puppetry is called Tholu Bommalata in Telugu and it literally means ‘dance of leather puppets’. Performances almost always start with a dedicated to Lord Ganesha. These puppets are used to depict stories from Hindu epics like the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Krishna Leela. The puppets are made from goat leather and are translucent. They are painted with bright colours and perforations are added to enhance the lighting effect.

Leather Puppets, or shadow puppets, are made in Anantapur and Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. The art form is said to date back to the 3rd century B.C. and reached its pinnacle during the heyday of the Vijayanagar Empire.

This form of puppetry is called Tholu Bommalata in Telugu and it literally means ‘dance of leather puppets’. Performances almost always start with a dedicated to Lord Ganesha. These puppets are used to depict stories from Hindu epics like the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Krishna Leela. The puppets are made from goat leather and are translucent. They are painted with bright colours and perforations are added to enhance the lighting effect.